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TOM HORVATH MD: THE PASSING OF PAUL ERRERA MD, CHAMPION OF VETERANS CAUSES
PAUL ERRERA DIES, UNNOTICED BY MOST, RENEGADE FIGHTER FOR VETERANS RIGHTS
By Tom Horvath for Veterans Today
Paul Errera MD has died on April 14th. Most people will say “who?” and wonder “why” this news is of interest to veterans, other than that he was a proud veteran himself.
But for those of us who were his comrades in the fight within the VA for better services for the homeless, for the combat stressed, the brain injured and for the severely mentally ill, his passing signals the end of an era. As we move to the 21stCentury VA, I wonder if the good General Shinseki was even briefed on Paul’s passing, and whether he knows what giant shoulders he stands on when he declares the end of veterans homelessness in five years.
Paul started that struggle 30 years ago when he moved to the Directorship of Mental Health in VACO after a brilliant career as the chief of psychiatry at West Haven VAMC. It was a dangerous struggle, the “Powers that Be” tried to fire him twice, and sighed in relief when he went back to Yale in 8 years. But their relief was short lived: his students and close collaborators held his position for another 12 years, and his ideas of empowerment, veteran advocacy, and accountability prevail even today, even when broken in practice from time to time.
Paul came from a prominent Belgian family of Portuguese origin who barely escaped the Nazis. He served in the Cold War Army that held back the Communists. He loved veterans and reserved his greatest compassion for those who paid the greatest price: not the dead, but the severely maimed. He was strong on accountability and on telling Truth to Power.
But he was also a brilliant tactician, who taught that “truth unaided will not win”. He learnt in the Army that good, honest strategies must be followed by effective tactics, and daring operational plans. So he was able to establish the homeless programs, the National Center for PTSD, the hospital based PTSD programs, and later supported the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers which continue to reform mental health in the VA.
That his successors were able to bring about further reforms was due to Paul’s inspiration. The VHA mental Health programs on the whole are more effective than any other public mental health system in the country, even while in need of further energetic reforms. He had the support of the VSO’s that cared about PTSD, Homelessness, and Substance Use Disorders, but not those that just wanted to play power politics. He had the support of all the good Secretaries, both GOP and Democrat, but he had little respect mere for ciphers or cynical power players: yet he was able to influence even these to some extent through his numerous contacts well after his “retirement”.
Paul developed bad Parkinson’s Disease late in his life, and became a patient in a day hospital himself. When he found problems there in some aspects of administration, he organized a patient self government to right the perceived wrongs, even though he could barely speak or swallow. That’s how we will remember Paul: always a fighter for the veteran, for the disabled, and always a proud veteran himself, to the last.
Tom Horvath MD
A retired VA physician and Army reservist who now volunteers some of his time for PTSD/TBI research and clinical care for Iraq/Afghanistan veterans.
Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=27050
Posted by Gordon Duff on Apr 15 2010, With 0 Reads, Filed under Vet News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Dr. Horvath, Gordon,
What a fine tribute to a great Doctor. From what I have read, he will certainly be missed.
PAUL ERRERA
Eighteen years
1966 to 1984
My life was seen only
As wasted and unwanted
mental patient
Destroyed from the war
Left to be forgotten
No help
Came in for help to get
Clean and Sober
1976
Was told that I should be in jail
Was treated like criminal
Came in for help with
Education
Was told that I was a failure
Thrown by armed guard
Told to never apply for education, again
1984
Got accepted for Vocational Rehabilitation
Graduated first in my college class
Paul Errera had come to VA Mental Health
National Director
There was a change in national direction
People in the VA started seeing me
As a person in need
Not a burden to them
People really started talking to me
Not talking behind my back
Not laughing at me behind my back
Paul Errera brought this change
Later on 1998 met Paul Errera
We talked before Congress
About Obligations to Least Well Off
We talked about my mental health care
Thanked him several times
Later on in life,
I would work at the Errera Community Care Center
I would thank him, again and again
Very few people realize what mental health care
Was like
Before Paul Errera
It was pretty dirty and dangerous
Said, the wrong thing
Could end up on the wrong road
FAST
Paul Errera cleaned up the system
Let the system be empathetic and caring
Got to spend time with Paul Errera
In the years since I came to New Haven,
Connecticut
Talked to him
Thanked him
Learned from him
Reaffirmed our Obligation to the Least Well Off
Paul Errera died
A few days ago
Many people will not know
How much he will be missed
Who he was
And, I have been on the receiving end
Of this “mental health care”
I will be grateful and indebted
There was a Paul Errera
That I knew Paul Erreara
That I got to say thank you to Paul Errera……….
Before he died…..
I heartily agree with my good friend Dr. Tom Horvath, writing on the life and work of our mutual late friend Dr. Paul Errera. Most veterans will never know his name, but Paul’s work in VA affected and improved mental health care for literally millions of veterans. In his active retirement he and I spoke and corresponded on numerous occasions when I worked on Capitol Hill and more recently at DAV. He offered excellent advice, and I always listened to his wise views on what we needed to do on policy, hearings or legislation. As late as 2009, Paul was still advising me and questioning me. In the 1980s he was my mentor at VA, in the 90s he was my advisor in Congress. I learned much from him that I still apply. Paul was a champion of veterans, and I am saddened to know he is no longer with us but I will remember him in fondness forever. John B.
Tom,
Thank you for writing such a fitting tribute to Paul. There are many of us who worked closely with him, who were inspired and mentord by him. Your “truth unaided” comment describes Paul in such a wonderful manner. When I was John Gronvall’s Exec. Asst., Paul would drive Art Lewis crazy with his direct trips to the hill with no prior briefings to anyone in the administration. John G., loved it! Paul always came back with support and funding for a new program.
You have described in better then I could hope to do. He was a brilliant, caring great guy!